Virtual Author Book Tours: Dinner With Lisa by R.L. Prendergast

Title: Dinner With Lisa
Author: R.L. Prendergast
Publisher: Dekko Publishing
Publish Date: November 1, 2011
Source: Virtual Author Book Tours

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a historical fiction fan.
• You like family stories.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "In the disastrous economic times of the 1930s, Joseph Gaston, a young widower with four children, arrives in the small town of Philibuster seeking security for his family. Instead, he faces barriers everywhere. He does his best despite great adversity, but the strain of feeding and protecting his family whittles away his strength. Finally, destitution forces him to consider giving up his children in order to save them. Enraged by his situation, he attempts one last desperate act—on the night he learns about the mysterious Lisa.

Heart wrenching, humorous and historically authentic, Dinner with Lisa incorporates the crucial issues of the depression: poverty, unemployment, drought and racism. In the midst of love and loyalty, trickery and despair, the ultimate message of the novel is one of hope and the courage to survive even the worst odds." 

My Two Cents:

You all know that I love historical fiction. I haven't read very many fiction books about the Great Depression (in fact, the last one I can remember is Grapes of Wrath actually). With everything going on with the economy right now, I've definitely been interested in reading more about the Great Depression, which was really the last time that the economy had been in such a bad state. So Dinner With Lisa came at a good time for me. Sometimes books find you at just the right time, no?

This book isn't exactly happy but it's hopeful. Joseph is definitely a character that you will feel yourself pulling for throughout the book. After the death of his wife, he goes to live in a small Canadian town with his four young children. In those days, fathers were not seen as being able to take good care of children and a lot of people wonder why Joseph didn't let a female relative raise the kids. Joseph is determined to keep his family together. He finds jobs where he can and tries to make ends meet. You definitely have to admire that. He's a good guy and I really found myself feeling bad about his situation. You'll find yourself cheering for him all the way.

I also really liked the setting. Philibuster is an interesting little town. I really liked seeing how the Great Depression affected people in small towns and outside of the United States. Some coped better than others.

Everyone knows everyone in Philibuster. And everyone seems to not always be as they seem. I loved putting together the different pieces to figure out what was really going on with each character. The character that I liked figuring out best was Joseph's sister-in-law, Tilda. At first, she seemed really sweet. She opens her house to Joseph and his family. She takes care of the children lovingly. And then, on the other hand, she has designs on breaking up the family. The juxtaposition is fascinating.

Bottom line: This is a great historical fiction with a lot of warmth!

Don't Forget to Follow the Rest of the Tour:

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Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf Mar. 13 Guest Post
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